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Thursday, December 12, 2013

224: IF YOU REPEAT A LIE OFTEN ENOUGH, IT BECOMES THE TRUTH

When a particular movement of the body is repeated over and over again, a long-term muscle memory is created for that action, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This is called muscle memory. Examples of muscle memory are found in many everyday activities that become automatic and improve with practice, such as riding a bicycle, dialing a phone number, typing in a PIN number, shooting free throws, or playing a musical instrument.

Somewhat related, when a lie is repeated over and over again, it becomes true in our minds. Living in this fallen world, all of us have been exposed to lies and believe misinformation which we hear over and over again. Even though the repeated information is false, we believe it must be true, especially if this information is told by someone we trust. Mainstream news, advertising, propaganda, correlationists, and public relations professionals all understand this principle and use it to their advantage.

I want to share a brief analogy. For a few years now, we have been teaching our kids how to play the piano. Before they learn to play a new song, we place the original sheet music in front of them that was written by the original composer. We will then play the music for them so that they hear how the song was intended to be played by the person who wrote the song. We usually go over the music, note by note, to make sure they are familiar with the notes so they are able to practice the song on their own. Our kids practice the song by themselves during the week and then on Saturday morning we sit down for their lesson and see how their progress is coming along. I have found that if our child played the wrong note repeatedly throughout the week, thinking they are playing the right note, they developed an errant "muscle memory" that is very difficult for them to break.

When first played, the wrong note will sound incorrect but when that note is played over and over again, it begins to sound correct in their ears. Sometimes the wrong note actually might sound better to them. So despite having the original music in front of them, and having heard what it should sound like, they begin to play a different variation of the song. In their mind they are playing it correctly and/or they prefer the new notes. Even after you correct them, they will often times lapse back into playing the wrong note. Often times our kids get mad when we correct them. Likewise, it is tiresome and difficult for us as parents to repeatedly correct them. But because we love them, we will continue to correct them.

Botton line, if you choose to play the song with deleted notes, added notes, or incorrect notes, the song takes on a different tune and is no longer what the composer had in mind.

I use that analogy as an introduction to posting about the LDS Church newly released official statement/essay entitled RACE AND THE PRIESTHOOD. Much has been written about it on the internet. I don't mean to add to the chatter, but wanted those who might not be aware for the reasons behind the release. Here is a local news report about one of the possible reasons behind the releasing of this very controversial subject. NEWS REPORT

According to this news report, we can look forward to additional releases on other controversial and/or doctrine issues that will be addressed by the LDS Church. Hopefully all of us will be prayerful to decide for ourselves if these releases are scripturally, and doctrinally correct and not just politically correct.

3 comments:

Along with such statements of error by Church leaders, the Church should at least be willing to admit that they were also wrong that 'Prophets can't lead us astray', and that 'Prophets can and have led the Church astray" not just on the Priesthood Ban, but so many other vital things as well, which will be more and more apparent as the Church continues to admit it's errors.

Once we realize that Prophets can and do sometimes fall, we can come to realize that they all did so after Joseph died. As the Book of Mormon foretells, the 'Holy Church of God' fell into another apostasy after Joseph died because everyone was deceived to fall for false doctrine, false teachers and false prophets.

Finally though the truth is coming out once again after over 150 years. People are now looking to see what Joseph Smith and Christ actually taught and not just blindly accepting what they are told by their leaders anymore, who we see are often very very wrong and evil.